Improvement in weft-thread knitting-machines



v SSheets--SheetL C. CALLAHAN.

weft-Thread Knitting-Machines. No. 135,625. ParemedFeb.11,1a73.

3 Shee ts- -Sheel 24 C. CALLAHAN.

-Weft-Thread Knitting-Machines.

Patented Feb. l1, 18 73.

No.l 135,625.

i 4.31. i j J,

AM, pHoro-momma co. Mesem/els mams) s Sheets-@heer l C. ALLHAN.Wem-Thread Kntting-Macljines, 10135,625l y Patented Feb.11873 Athecam-groove.

UNITED STATEs IaPATEETN CEEICEo CORNELIUS CALLAHAN, OF CHELSEA,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNC'R TC HIMSELF AND EDWIN E. SIBLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WEFT-THREAD KNlTTlNG-MACHINES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,625, dated February1l, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS GALLAHAN, of Chelsea, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certa-in new anduseful Improvements in Knitting-Looms, of which the following is a full,clear, and eX- act description, reference being had to the accompanyin gdrawing making part of this specviiication, in which- Figure l is aperspective view of a rotary knitting-loom having my improvementsapplied thereto. Figx 2 is a vertical section through a portion of thesame. Fig. 3 is a similar section illustrating a modification. Fig. 4isa similar section illustrating another modilication. Fig. 5 is avertical section through the cam-cylinder, showing one-half of the can1groove by which the needles are raised and lowered. Fig. 6 is a verticalsection through the cam-cylinder, showing the other half of Figs. 7, '8,9, and 10 are elevations of the needles and their slides.

In some knitting-looms, where the needles are divided into two rows inorder to introduce a weft or llin g thread, a strain is brought upon thethread at the knittin g-point, by pressing the alternate needles outwardto bring them into line with respect to the other needles. Thisfrequently causes the thread to break should a weak place occur at thispoint.

My'invention has for its object to avoid this liability of breaking thethread; and consists in a mechanism of peculiar construction forseparating or dividing the needles into two rows, and bringing them backagain into a single row or line at the proper times, in such mannerA asto avoid the strain heretofore brought upon the thread at theknittingpoint. My invention also consists in a mechanism of peculiarconstruction for bringing the alternate needles gradually into line withrespect to the other needles as they approach the knitting-point, whichcauses the weft-thread to be pressed against the needles of the insiderow, so as to insure the closing of their latches.

To enable others skilled in the art to understandand use mydnvention, Iwill proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out. y Inthe said drawing, A represents the outer casing or frame of the machine,which is of cylindrical form, and within this frame is iitted anothercylinder, B, formed in two parts, a b, secured in place by screws c d,the lower edge of the upper portion and the upper edge of the lowerportion being separated from each other, and of such shape as to form acamgroove, e. Within this camcylinder B is placed the needle cylinder C,which is intended to be revolved by gearing, in the usual manner. Theexterior of the needle-cylinder is provided with a series of vertical.grooves for the reception of the needle-slides or bases fg, to which thelatched needles h t' are secured. Each of the needle-slides is providedwith a projection, lc, and these projections fit into the cam-groove e,which is provided with suitable inclines l2, by which the needles areoperated to form the loops as the cylinder C is revolved, in theordinary manner.

I will now describe the manner in which the alternate needles 'i arethrown out of line with respect to the other needles It, so as to formtwo rows above the work, to allow a weftthread or iilling (not shown) tobe introduced a short distance in advance of the point where theknitting-loop is'formed. At the top of the back of each of the slides orbases g of the alternate needles t' is a projection, l, which, as theslide is raised by the camgroove e, strikes against an inclinedprojection, m, which extends entirely around the exterior of theneedle-cylinder C. rlhe needles i are thus forced out of line withrespect to the needles h, as seen in Fig. 2, the interior of thecam-cylinder being cut away at a, and cach ofthe slides g being cut awayat o, to allow of this movement. If it were not for this enlargement of'the interior of the camcylinder near its top, the needles could not be.thrown out without tapering theirI slides at the upper end, which wouldtend to weaken them at the points where the needles were attached. Theslides j', being made with straight backs without any projections, donot come into contact with the projection m as they rise, and theneedles h, consequently, remain lin the same vertical plane.

As the needles approach the knitting-point they are drawn down by thecam e, when an incline or projection, p, on each of the slides .g

of theneedles t' is brought into contact with an incline or projection,q, extending entirely around the interior of the cam-cylinder B, whichthrows the needlesiy back into line with respect to the needles 7L, sothat their hooks will catch the warp-thread and form the loops asrequired, the weft-thread being brought down into place by the pressureof the warp-thread as the loops areebrmed.

If desired, the incline q on the interior of the cam-cylinder can bedispensed with, in which case the tension of the work upon the needlest' must be relied on to bring them back into line with the otherneedles; but I prefer to employ the incline q, as it insures the returnot' the needles.

In Fig. 3 -is represented a slight modification ofthe device shown inFig. 2 for throwing out the alternate needles i.

In this case the projection m extends out further from the surface ofthe needlecylinder than that shown' in Fig. 2, and the projections Z onthe slides f/ are dispensed with, the tops of these slides themselvesstriking the projection m as they rise, while the slides f of theneedles h, which do not require to be thrown out, are shorter (see Fig.10) than the slides g of the needles i, so that when raised they do notreach the level of the projection m, and are consequently not thrown outthereby.

Fig. 4. represents another modification, in which the projection mextends out the same distance from the surface of the needle-cylinder asthat shown in Fig. 3, the projections l on the slides g being alsodispensed with, and the tops of these slides themselves striking theprojection m as they rise 5 but the slides f, instead of being shorterthan the slides g, are

Vof the same length, but are prevented'from being thrown out as they areraised by entering' grooves r (seen dotted) in the projection m.

The projection m on the rotating needle-cylinder U may be beveled orinclined, as shown, or maybe of rectangular or other form incrosssection, in which case the upper inside corners ofthe slides g orthe projections thereon should be rounded or inclined.

In the machine represented in the accompanying drawing two series ofneedles are employed, each series extending half-way around thecircumference of the machine, and having a separate warp and weftthread; s t representin g the knitting-points, and a c, the points wherethe welt-threads are introduced.

A single series of needles only may, however, be used, or more than twoseries, if de sired, the form of the cam-groove e being such as toelevate and depress the needles at the proper times.

It will be seen that instead of pressing the alternate needles outwardat the knittingpoint, to bring them into line with the other needles,they are carried inward. and consequently no'strain is brought upon thethread at the knitting-point, and the liability of break- 4-avgeis thusavoided.

Where this portion of the cam-groove is` in-V clined the needles i aredrawn down and at the same time brought back into line with re'- spectto the other needles gradually as they approach theknitting-point, whichinsures the weft-thread being pressed against the needles 71J of theinside row so as to close their latches, which is thus effected withmore certainty than Where the cam-groove is horizontal from l5 to 16, asshown in Fig. 6, in which latter case the needles t' are not drawn backinto line with respect to the other needles until just before they reachthe knitting-point, and consequently the weft-thread, not being pressedup close to the needles of the 'inside row, is liable to pass over someof the latches without closing them, and catch in the hooks of theneedles, which would result in imperfect work.

In machines in which the needles are divided into two rows for a shortdistance only to allow of the introduction of the weft-thread, and thenbrought into a single row again sometime before reaching theknitting-point, it is necessary to employ a presser-wheel, or some othermechanical device, to press down the weft-thread in order to insure itsgetting below the latches of the inside row of needles at theknitting-point 5 but in the machine above described the needles are keptdivided into two rowswhile traveling from the point where theweft-thread is introduced until they nearly reach the knitting-point,and consequently the weft-thread is easily brought down into place bythe pressure of the Warp-thread thereon as the loops are formed, thusavoiding the necessity of employing a presser-wheel for this purpose, ashas heretofore7 in some cases, been required, which greatly increasedthe complication of the machine, and rendered it liable to get out oforder.

My improved machine is very simple, and comparatively inexpensive, andby its use I am enabled to produce knit fabric having a wettthread oriillin g, and which can be fulled and finished so as to formbroadcloths, cassimeres, and similar fabrics.

Although I have described my improve ments as particularly adapted torotary or circular machines, they may, nevertheless, be applied equallyas well to reciprocating knit-- tin g-machines.

Claims.

are raised, are thrown ont of line with respect to the other needles,and may return again into line when lowered, substantially as set forth.

2. The incline or projection q on the inside of the cani-cylinder B, incombination with the needle-slides g, provided with inclines orprojections p and actuated by a cam-groove, whereby the needles t arebrought back into line with respect to the other needles7 substantiallyas set forth.

3. The cylinder B having the groove e with the lon g gradual incline 1718, in combination with the cylinder C having the projection m and theneedle-slides g, whereby the needles t are brought gradually into linewith respect to the other needles as they approach the knittin g-point,substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 28th day of December', A. D. 1872.-

CORNELIUS CALLAHAN. In presence oil- Il?.v E. TESCHEMAGHER, N. W.STEARNS.

